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Of the nearly 237 million medication errors occurring in England each year, 28% have the potential to cause harm. This article outlines the immediate steps to be taken following identification of a medicines safety incident.

Exclusive: An estimated 64 million multicompartment compliance aids are given out by community pharmacies each year in England, a new report has shown, as data show rising reported incidences of associated harm.

Millions of multicompartment compliance aids (MCAs) are handed out by pharmacists each year, but evidence for their benefits is hard to find. Few patients are assessed before being given an MCA and concerns are building over potential errors and harms.

Pharmaceutical Press, the publishing arm of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, has launched a digital product allowing clinicians to search for potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among more than 1,600 drugs.

“To avoid unnecessary suffering in children, doctors must have support from expert pharmacist colleagues,” Richard Hain, consultant and lead clinician in paediatric palliative medicine, told the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Welsh Medicines Safety Conference, held in Cardiff on 22 November 2018.

Polypharmacy among older people is at an all-time high, prompting a necessary focus on withdrawing inappropriate medicines. However, evidence-based guidelines are needed to overcome barriers to deprescribing.

Children may be exposed to potentially harmful excipients, essential components of drug formulations, through unlicensed and off-label use of adult medicines. Excipient exposure should be minimised, although a medicine containing a problem excipient may be indicated, but only after a careful risk–benefit assessment.